The Other Nightmare
by Era Yachi
Summary: Something is trying to destroy all of the holiday worlds, including Halloween. Jack must rally the other holiday leaders and somehow protect his own town from the unseen danger. But sometimes, the worst kind of trouble comes from within.
1. What's This?

**_The Other Nightmare  
_**

**AN:** These are my thoughts: what I'd really like to see, is a dark, twisted tale with all the Nightmare Before Christmas peculiarities attached. Something with mystery, suspense and more twists in the plot than a piece of licorice. I promise all of these things in advance. Have fun and enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **Tim Burton owns this beautifully crafted tale. I do not.

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_Chapter One: What's This?_

In the dead of night, the adventurous Pumpkin King stepped lightly through the rolling pumpkin patch, careful to avoid tripping or breaking the large, thick coils of gnarled vines that created a forest around him. This was nothing more than an evening stroll, of course. He had unstuck himself from the Mayor's zealous attempts to draw up next year's Halloween plans, but after last week's marvelous display of Halloween vigor, Jack Skellington was less than keen to jump into another session.

Mind, he had no intention of wandering very far this night. After all, it was after last year's Halloween that he upset the balance of holidays and nearly ruined Christmas for everyone. Making that mistake once in his afterlife was enough.

This did not stop his mind from wandering. Already it reached the very borders of his kingdom and back to the core of the town he loved so dearly. Halloween Town was as dreadful as ever, the trick-or-treaters were behaving; the glow from the recently passed Halloween still floating between the grins and burning eyes of the town's residents. And Oogie was dead. Nothing seemed to be out of place at all.

Jack sighed as he steadily climbed the hill. It was all too perfect. Wonderful, yes—but why did he _still_ feel so restless? That gnawing emptiness that had led to last year's catastrophe was gone, for the most part. He would not deny that the thought of delivering ghoulish presents all across the world still made him grin, but the emptiness had been satisfied with so much more—

Like Sally. Oh, Sally. He never could have imagined that her love for him was right under his skull this entire time! And not to mention the realization that _he_, the Pumpkin King, had a holiday of his own to furnish. To think what would happen if someone tried to kidnap _him _and take over Halloween!

Jack wanted nothing more than to take a long, leisurely walk with Sally at his side…but unfortunately, she had sacrificed this perfect night by providing him with a distraction, so that he could escape the Mayor's attention. _Just for tonight_, he thought. Tomorrow, maybe, he would start the plans for next Halloween, but for now…

Behind him, Zero drifted as silently as a ghost, brightly shining nose illuminating the faces of the broad pumpkins. The occasional crow screamed at the chilling duo as they arrived at the highest mound of twisted patch. Jack's eye sockets widened as he took in the sight before him—a shocking, bewildering sight like he had never seen.

"My, how _big_ these pumpkins are," he commented aloud to Zero, voice laced with awe. He placed a skeletal hand under his jaw. "That's strange. I could have sworn this was the patch Behemoth had planted a month ago…I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. What do you think, Zero?"

After tentatively sniffing the vine of the nearest pumpkin, the phantom of a dog barked positively. He floated in a circle, and barked again.

"You're absolutely right—they _are_ the same pumpkins, aren't they?" Now his tone lilted with anger. Jack looked crossly at the vast jungle before him and narrowed his eyes. "Hmmm…I don't like this at all, Zero."

A whine answered him. Zero had no idea, either. Jack touched the surface of the pumpkin nearest him, frowning, when a sudden movement caught his eye.

His jaw dropped slightly as he watched a tiny little glowing light float up from amidst the leaves, spiraling above his head like a firefly. It stopped and hovered just in front of his eyes.

"What's this?" he mused, reaching out as if to touch it. Suddenly, it reversed direction and spun away so quickly that it was gone in less than an instant.

Zero barked, breaking him out of his daze. Someone called his named from nearby. Jack spun around, to find a figure approaching him from the darkness. He recognized Sally as she hesitantly climbed the path that led to the top of the hill. All but forgetting the strange encounter with the miniature light, he stalked towards her with an outstretched arm.

"Why, Sally, what's wrong?" he said, hardly noticing Zero as he circled around their legs excitedly.

His dearest friend; his most wonderful Sally was wringing her hair in her soft, rag doll hands as she came to a nervous stop. Jack could tell she had been running—the brambles and dirt that stuck to her clothes were just the first clue. She grabbed his hand and began to pull earnestly.

"Jack, you have to come back to the town, right now!" she insisted as he lurched after her. "Please, something awful has happened!"

That struck a chord inside his ribs. He leapt into his fastest sprint, inevitably though unintentionally overtaking Sally as he darted from one ledge to another, as nimbly as any spider and swiftly as a ghost. Her desperate call of "He's at the well, Jack! Hurry!" echoed after him, boosting his spirit and making him swell inside with the sense of overbearing protection for his town.

The iron gates flung apart at his entrance, sound rattling against the cobblestones and reaching the ears (or otherwise) of the town's residents, who had already gathered in a tight crowd around the well. Mr. Hyde, Zeldaborn and Helgamine noticed him first, quickly moving aside to let him through. Scattered whispers of "Jack!", "Jack's here!" and "Make way, he's coming!" broke out amidst the rest as they edged away, revealing the center of attention.

The Mayor lay on his back beside the crooked stone well, making unpleasant sounds and frowning intensely. The sickly green half of his face barely even perked when he spotted Jack hovering above. His tall hat had been knocked off and now lay on the ground, forgotten.

"Oh, my…" Jack crouched down next to the ailing mayor and peered closely at him, skull wrought with concern. "Mayor, what happened here?"

A moan answered him. "Jack, is that you…? Oh, it was _terrible_…"

Before he had a chance to go on, a bitter voice sliced through the crowd like the yowl of an irritated cat. Dr. Finklestein rolled his chair closer to the scene, waving aside the residents with his gloved hand.

"All right, all right, get out of my way," he growled, stopping just beside the Pumpkin King and the ailing victim of…well, whatever crime had been committed. He grumbled, lips trembling, and scratched his bald head with a lazy finger. "I'm the expert here, you handful of rotten miscreants…ah, Jack, how nice to see you."

"Doctor, thank goodness you're here," Jack said, relieved. He stood up, towering over the mad scientist and gesturing down at the mayor of Halloween Town. "Please, can you tell me what happened here? What is wrong with the Mayor?"

Grumbling again, Dr. Finklestein directed his gaze downwards as the Mayor continued to make distressed sounds. Then he made a throaty, ugly sound that might have been a sigh. "Absolutely nothing," he drawled, picking up the gnarled cane he has recently started to use (for his own amusement, of course, since it was otherwise useless). He leaned forward and prodded the double-faced politician with it.

"Ah!" The Mayor swatted the cane away. But the doctor was right—there didn't seem to be anything actually _wrong_ with him. If anything, he was shocked. In the town of Halloween, who wasn't?

Jack crossed his arms. "Mayor, would you kindly explain what this is about?"

"Ohhhh…" The politician in question sat up unhappily, glancing at Jack with a twinge of guilt.

"He was attacked!" chimed the Mummy Kid from behind.

"Ambushed!"

"Scared out of his wits!"

There was a round of cackling following thereafter, which was abruptly silenced when Jack raised a skeletal hand. "Go on, Mayor. Tell us what happened."

"I knew I should have stayed home today…" Sadly, the Mayor stood up in front of him, trying his best to look professional. "Jack, it was awful! A creature, a completely _horrifying_ monster jumped out of the well and attacked me!"

The Pumpkin King's eyes widened into identical, round caverns. "A monster _inside_ the well? Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes!" At once, the Mayor's head swiveled around and his expression once again turned into one of positive zeal.

"It was big!"

"Glowing red, like fire!"

"Terrible, Jack!"

"Wait a moment," said Jack, turning to face the crowd of enthusiastic residents. "You all witnessed this happen?"

"I did!" piped up the Corpse Kid, and was promptly echoed by the Mummy Kid and a chirp from the Winged Demon.

"And us!" Zeldaborn and Helgamine chimed in.

Behemoth, lurking forward a little lifted a gruesome arm, "Uhhh…"

Jack peered at them all with an intensity that made them shrink back. "Can any of you describe this creature to me more clearly? Was it a resident of Halloween Town?"

There was a definite pause. Just as he suspected—no one had seen the culprit clearly enough to tell. Then, suddenly, the Corpse Kid jumped in.

"No!" he said stoutly. "It was _really_ scary, Jack! Never been here before!"

Again, the skeleton crouched down to look at the boy. "You're absolutely certain?"

"Yes, sir!"

"And? Can you tell me what it _did_ look like?"

A chilling silence fell over the town square. Too chilling. Surprised, Jack looked around at the mixed expressions of his friends and narrowed an eye socket thoughtfully. There _certainly_ must be something going on that he was not expecting…

"Like you," said a soft voice from beyond the assembly.

Everyone spun around and parted to let Jack through as he strode through. "Sally," he welcomed happily. Then he stopped with a slight tilt of his head, as the meaning of her words finally sinking into his skull.

Her face was sad and quite evidently worried. "It looked like you, Jack," she admitted, daintily stepping towards him. "At first, I thought it was a ghost of some kind, but when it turned on the Mayor…"

The indication was there, but it couldn't possibly be true. Did Sally—_his_ Sally truly think that he would harm one of the townspeople? Unsurely, the skeleton looked at the faces of his friends once more. They stared back at him, silent and unmoving. What was going on?

"Well," the Mayor spoke up gravely, his face suddenly dark and unhappy once again. He moved through the crowd with one of his rare auras of authority. "If everyone is in agreement, then we all know what happens now. The law of Halloween Town must be acted upon immediately!"

There was such an outburst from the residents then, that Jack—the Pumpkin King himself—felt almost frightened. They were starting to advance on him and Sally with malice in their assorted eyes—or in some cases, eye. Warily, Jack backed up a step, consciously putting himself in the space between him and Sally, in case things did turn ugly…

"An intruder!" screeched Helgamine.

"An imposter!"

"It's going to get away!"

The Werewolf snarled, "It's our town!"

"It's our home!"

"Our man Jack will make it pay!"

"That settles it!" The Mayor shuffled over to Jack, grinning. "Jack, we knew we could count on you! What a splendid idea!"

Genuinely confused—though the residents of Halloween Town did tend to overcomplicate things—Jack held out his hands in an expression of defeat. "I'm afraid I don't understand, Mayor."

"You're the Pumpkin King," pointed out the wrinkled saxophone player, from a distance.

"And you're the bravest and scariest of us all!" piped in another voice, from whence he did not know.

Now the typically sharp-minded skeleton realized what they were talking about. Something—his sense of guardianship, perhaps—immediately took charge. This was the land of Halloween, and it had been encroached upon by some unknown creature. There were strange things at hand, and it was his sole responsibility to investigate them to his utmost strength!

"You're absolutely right!" he announced triumphantly, curling a bony fist in the air. A cheer from the denizens all around countered him. "Something should be done about this at once! Mayor, do you remember which way the creature went?"

On perfect cue, the collective heads of the Halloween Town residents turned to stare at the quietly glowing ooze inside the well. Jack stood above it, his eyes pointed with the green light reflecting off his face. After a moment, a soft hand landed on his arm.

"Jack, what are you planning?" Sally asked him, clearly unhappy by the idea of him taking off on yet another perilous quest.

He turned around, taking her protective hand in his own. "Sally, there is only one thing I can think of that _can_ be done."

Like many times before, she seemed to read his mind before he could express this new idea. "But Jack, I don't think it's a good idea…"

"I know," he assured her, oblivious to the rapt attention of their audience. Their touching moments had become a frequent vogue amongst the residents. Oddly, however, his surprising gentility with Sally had done nothing to dent his reputation as the world's scariest being to ever live…or not live, respectively. "My dearest Sally, this is a matter of protecting Halloween Town from whatever lies out there, beyond the furthest reaches of these skeletal hands…"

He had not convinced her. Not in the least. But by her expression, he knew she would not try to stop him from this journey he had set his mind on. She looked at the ground and sighed. Then she lifted her head to stare directly into the hollows of his eyes. "You must take me with you."

There were several negative gasps from the residents. Despite the fact that they weren't sure _what_ Jack's plan was, they knew very well what his reaction would be to _any_ suggestion of putting Sally's life in danger…

"If you don't take me with you," she warned him, before he could utter an objection. "I will _never_ speak to you again for as long as we're both dead."

Another thing about he and Sally—she had become much less shy in the past year with him than ever. If she wanted something to happen, then Jack was either inclined to do it, or argue with her until it was either done, or a compromise was drawn.

Unhappy but subdued, the skeleton nodded. "Very well. But we're only going there for a short visit—and it's straight back to Halloween Town."

"Thank you, Jack." A warm smile crossed her stitched lips. She reached up and kissed his cheek, before strolling towards the town gate.

Sighing with gladness for her comfort and weariness yet _another_ argument lost, Jack glanced over his fellow residents and found over half of them holding back a fit of snickers.

"What are you all staring at?" he demanded sharply. The few closest to him drew back quite suddenly, so ferocious was his demeanor. "I want at least _two_ guards posted at this well at all times while I'm gone. Understood?"

"I'll do it!" Corpse Kid volunteered.

"And me!"

"Me too!"

"We'll all keep watch for you, Jack!"

Not for the first time, he sighed—this time, because it was just occurring to him again how hard it was to issue an order about anything without being mobbed. How he loved this town and the endearing citizens that made its creepy existence so perfectly horrible. Only sometimes, making his intentions clear was not an easy task.

"All right," he said at last, drawing himself up. Their eyes watched him steadily. "I'm off to see Sandy Claws, everyone. And remember, if _anything_ out of the ordinary happens while I'm gone, it's the door that's shaped like a Christmas tree."

"We know, Jack! We'll take care of everything!" one of the vampire brothers assured him. Jack grinned at him in return.

And turned to leave Halloween Town on a mission that would start a disaster.

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TBC


	2. Oh, Not You Again

**_Vindicator_**

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**_- _**

_Chapter Two: Merry Chris…Oh, Not You Again_

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Gradually, the world came into focus and they found they were planted on top of an icy snow bank. Jack turned around to face Sally, hardly surprised by her staring, awestruck expression at scene before them. Even after last year's events, Christmas Town was a _very _wonderful place to be, if only to gaze at in wonder.

"Sally, this way," he offered, extending his hand towards her. She looked up at him, and with courteous, elegant grace, he helped her stand. "Be careful," he warned affectionately. "The snow here is very deep and tricky to move around in."

"It's so beautiful," she told him, as they descended down the slope towards the astonishing exhibit that was the Christmas village.

"I know," he said appreciatively and gestured with his free hand. "And to think that all of this existed this whole time, right here under our noses!"

Jack's renewed passion over Christmas and its colorful headquarters brought a patient smile to her face. Once in a while, he would relapse into his innocent state of simple curiosity and admiration, but beside it all, he remained the powerful and rightfully respected Pumpkin King, holiday leader of Halloween. And now he was a king on a mission to secure his kingdom. If only he wouldn't become so distracted…

Their approach was fortunately not beheld by any of Christmas Town's residents. It was probably late for their time, and the children had been tucked in bed—the parents gathered around fires, roasting chestnuts and drinking hot cocoa and the like. This was a good a time as any to visit this world; Jack had worried about their reception, being a skeleton among living, smiling creatures and all—but it seemed they had timed it just right.

When Sandy Claws' door stood before him, Jack raised a fist to knock and announce their visit. Sally stopped him, much to his surprise. There was sincere trouble in her eyes. "Jack, I'm getting a bad feeling…we have to turn back. Something awful will happen, I just know it…"

His face softened and he curled a reassuring hand around hers. "Don't you worry, Sally. Everything will be fine. After all, we're only visiting Sandy Claws! What could possibly go wrong?"

With this proclamation, he rapped gently on the door to the pleasant little cottage. They stood quietly together until they heard someone near the door from the inside.

"Ho, ho, ho, now who could this be?" came the somewhat muffled, if not jovial and jolly voice of the resident holiday leader. The door swung open, and his rosy face emerged. "_Merry _Chris—" Santa blinked, rubbed his eyes, and dropped his smile when he spotted Jack. "Oh, not you again."

"Mr. Claws, how wonderful it is to see you," Jack said politely, either oblivious or indifferent to the less-than-enthusiastic greeting.

"Jack, the last time I answered this door to one of your kind, I was abducted and mishandled by a group of children that _you_ sent for me," warned the old man.

This did little to hamper Jack's disposition. "And that was a terrible mistake on my part, Mr. Claws," he promised, holding a fist to his ribs in order to deliver the confession. "But please, what Sally and I have to say is important, and may very well involve all seven of the holiday worlds, including Christmas Town."

Mr. Claus seemed to realize that the rag doll was standing behind Jack for the first time. She smiled at him, and suddenly there was a great pause on the tension. "Oh, very well," he said with a heavy sigh that made his beard quiver. "I suppose if she's here, there must be _someone_ with a brain behind this circus act."

The door opened wider, and their host gave them space to enter. Jack felt the warmth of the fireplace wash over his bones the moment he stepped inside. With Sally at his arm, he took in the sight of the pleasantly glowing room, with soft green carpets and an old-fashioned sofa with a wingback chair to match. The smell of baking cookies, chocolate and sweet sugary dough, flowed through the air like bats inside a tower spire.

Mumbling to himself, Mr. Claus trundled over to the wingback chair and sat down heavily. When he saw that Jack and Sally had not moved from beside the coat rack, he made a hastening motion with one of his small hands. "Well? What are you waiting for? Sit down and make yourselves comfortable, you two."

They did, each taking a spot on the sofa. Jack was quite obviously distracted by the décor inside the room—which Sally remedied by clearing her throat and gently nudging him in the ribs.

"So, Jack," Mr. Claus said with a touch of ire. "What brings you, ahum..._back_ to Christmas Town?"

As soon as the Pumpkin King formulated his response, someone else cut him off.

"Nicholas, dear, who was it at the door?"

The voice, as it turned out, belonged to the friendly-looking lady who entered the room from the kitchen. She was carrying a tray of freshly baked goods, which ended up clattering to the floor when she noticed their guests.

"Hello there," greeted Jack.

"Ellen, this is Jack Skellington," Mr. Claus introduced rigidly. "And he's here with Sally. It seems they're here to discuss a matter of great importance."

"Well!" Eleanor Claus exclaimed matter-of-factly, stopping to gather the broken bits of cookies from the floor. When she stood, she was smiling behind her eyeglasses. "You very nearly gave me a fright to remember! It's nice to meet you, dears. Can I get you anything? A glass of milk?"

Jack exchanged looks with Sally, who exchanged a look with Jack, and they both looked their host. "We're fine, thank you," said the skeleton genially. "Mr. Claws, I really am sorry to trouble you after you've been so understanding about last Christmas. Something very disturbing is happening in Halloween Town, and I was hoping—

"I can only imagine the untold things that happen in _your _town that could be considered _disturbing_," retorted the stout red man. "And quite frankly, I don't enjoy imagining it, Jack. What could possible have happened that you, with all of your unfathomable powers, couldn't handle it on your own?"

The Pumpkin King stared at him for a long while, and Sally realized that she was in actual fact, seeing _the_ Pumpkin King inside those dark sockets and _not_ her beloved Jack Skellington. If Mr. Claus's words became even fiercer, Jack would begin to retaliate with the inflamed ember of true fury that dwelled deep inside his gentle soul.

"Um," she intervened quietly, taking the attention away from Jack and unto her. "We were hoping…you might know something about a monster…attacking residents in other holiday towns?"

Santa regarded her with surprise. His eyes squinted. "A monster? Attacking other towns?" His expression grew darker and he turned on the skeleton sitting next to her. "_Jack?"_

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean—" Sally started to say, and luckily it was enough to save Jack from a tongue-lashing from the Christmas leader. "Something attacked the Mayor of Halloween Town just tonight, and I know absolutely that it was not a Halloween monster! I could feel its evil presence as soon as it showed up—oh, I don't ever want to think about it!" She shut her eyes and tried to imagine away the image that conjured in her mind. More painful than the fact that it was trying to harm her friends was the likeness it had to her one and only Jack…

"Not only do the people of Halloween Town not harm each other, Mr. Claws, but we would _never_ hurt anyone outside our borders, either." Jack's face went still and serious. "One holiday leader to another, I can assure you that what we're dealing with is something rare and unlike anything we've seen before—and it does _not_ like following the rules."

Either the skeleton's short speech had switched something on inside the old man's heart, or his ancient sense of duty had begun acting up, because he sat back in his chair and sighed longingly. "This sounds like something the Holiday Committee should hear about."

Jack's eyes slanted with curiosity. "Holiday Committee?"

"My goodness," remarked Mrs. Claus, peering out the window above the small, wooden stove. "Nicholas dear, it's snowing like the dickens outside."

A sharp rap on the door interrupted the mood, and a moment later, it flung open a very little man in a green suit came tumbling out of a snow bank three times his height and onto the floor. With a slight jingle, he dashed to his feet and hurriedly shut the door behind him, facing the cozy-lit room with his back to the wall like a cornered animal.

Jack and Sally stood up immediately, expecting some sort of surprised reaction from the miniature man. But the elf completely ignored them, instead taking a beeline towards Mr. Claus and shaking off the snow from his hat as he did so.

"Mr. Santa Claus, sir, I am greatly sorry for this most superfluous, inconspicuous intrusion of your residence, sir!" He stood upright and saluted the Christmas leader. "I've come to report that at this hour, a most impertinent snowstorm has begun to take place, sir! Christmas Town is in a perpetual state of lockdown!"

Sandy Claws gave no indication that he was glad to see this new visitor—in fact, he looked even _more_ irate than he had been mere moments ago. "Luckwittle, this is the fifth time this holiday season you've—"

But when the window next to Mrs. Claus burst open, spilling a blanket of fresh snow through the whistling hole in the wall, Santa's reprimand was cut short. Ellen exclaimed another good-natured word and hustled to close the window again, using a tea towel to pin the handles together and stop it from opening again.

"A blizzard?" half-growled Sandy Claws, rising out of his chair very quickly. "Now, at _this_ time of the year? Without _my_ authority? _What_ is going on here, Jack?"

To this, the Pumpkin King sighed. "It's what I've been trying to tell you, Mr. Claws. I strongly believe that we have to look into this as soon as possible."

"Well!" stated Mr. Claus with no actual force to it. But Jack was now paying close attention to the strange point of light hovering next to the short man's beard.

"Aha!" the skeleton cried, pointing out the tiny light source. Mr. Claus's eyes widened in surprise as the glowing speck floated up into the air, directly in front of his face. Many eyes followed it as it slowly drifted off towards the Christmas tree standing in the corner, before abruptly disappearing in a flash through a crack in the ceiling.

"My, my, that was unusual," remarked Mrs. Claus, who now stood behind her husband. She tried to chuckle kindly, if only to lighten the darkened atmosphere. "I have never seen anything like that before, I can tell you that for sure."

"My point precisely, Mrs. Claws," said Jack, then turning to the man in the red suit. "I saw a light exactly like that one in the pumpkin patch outside of Halloween Town. Now I know for sure that these happenings are related. What do you think, Mr. Claws?"

Mr. Claus had a flushed red face, and a tightened expression that hid nothing of his displeasure for the situation. But with a glance at Sally, and then to Ellen, and the restless Luckwittle at his feet, he apparently came to the conclusion they were hoping for:

"What do I think?" he demanded. "Sit down, Jack. It appears that I have no choice but to call a meeting, and by heavens glory, will they be surprised to see _you_."

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TBC

AN: Short chapter. There's a Nightmare on 34th street…


	3. The NonParticipant

_**The Other Nightmare  
**_

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AN: The title and summary has been changed, since I've altered the plot slightly (formerly known as 'Vindicator'). I suppose it's important to mention that I apologize for my first chapter's AN. Most of the stories I've read about TNBC have been good, really. And I'm going to add in many elements of Jack/Sally and even a segment that includes how Jack came to be the Pumpkin King. But I do intend to keep the same 'look and feel' of the original movie.. That includes some intentionally cheesy rhyming and bursts of Jack Skellington eccentricity. And lots of different residents of holiday towns. And pumpkins. And maybe even a song or two. Who knows?

If I'm off on the characterization, let me know. I think I've done alright…

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_Chapter Three: The Non-Participant_

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Jack was beside himself.

The blizzard was one thing. Snow was definitely a marvel that went far beyond Jack's understanding, but the storm that raged through Christmas Town baffled his skull like nothing before. The other thing that baffled him was the Holiday Committee Sandy Claws had mentioned.

How embarrassing. A committee for the holiday leaders, and all these years he hadn't showed up, not once. It was no wonder Mr. Claus was angry with him. Just what was he going to say when he met the others?

He thought back to the residents back at home in Halloween Town, which sparked an internal skeleton grin. No matter how long it took, he could count on them to protect the town until he and Sally returned. Whenever that would be. At this point, he didn't understand what it was Mr. Claus had in mind.

"Jack," spoke Mr. Claus. The skeleton turned his hollow sockets towards him. The Christmas leader has only just returned from wherever it was he went to call a meeting. "I don't know if I can handle another one of your disasters, but—

"Oh, come now, Nicholas," Helen interrupted him with her hands placed on her hips. "Don't you start with that crazy story about how Mr. Jack Skellington tried to ruin Christmas. Goodness, the way you tell it, you might as well have been locked up with the boogey man himself in some dark, shut-up basement."

At this point, Jack fully intended to say something in Mr. Claus's defense, but he wasn't given a chance.

"What matters now is that we try to solve this mess before it gets out of hand," said the round-cheeked man." Jack, you're coming with me." He paused. "It was nice to see you again, Sally."

"Of course," replied Sally as Mr. Claus headed for the door. She and Jack stood up quickly.

"Mr. Claws, wait!" Jack exclaimed in surprise. "We can't go outside with the weather like this."

This earned him a crinkle-eyed look. "Honestly, Jack—the Pumpkin King afraid of a little snow storm?"

"But, Jack—" Sally began to protest.

"No, no, Sally." Jack looked down at her gently and held her hands in his own between them. "You have to stay here with Mrs. Claus. It's too dangerous."

"Jack—

"Not this time, Sally." He said this with his kindest voice, which he generally only used while addressing her. "Please…you know how I feel about putting you in danger."

Sally apparently conceded to this, because instead of rebutting him, she bowed her head and sighed. "Please be careful, Jack. "

"I will."

The Pumpkin King turned towards the door, to meet Sandy Claws and set out to wherever it was that he was needed—he met a blinding wall of snow. Surprised, Jack realized that he was no longer standing inside the warm little cottage, but outside in the middle of a snow bank that came to his knees. He spotted Mr. Claus standing just in front of him; wondrously, the blizzard swirled around them rather than touching a single thread on their persons. And Mr. Claus was standing on top of the snow.

"What are we waiting for? We don't have all season! Hurry, now!" the older holiday leader lectured, offering one of his slight hands. Slightly baffled, Jack accepted it, and was at once standing on top of the soft snow along with him. He blinked down at his feet speechlessly.

With the blinding wind and weather careening around their invisible bubble of serenity, the duo trudged forward into the path of gaily decorated pine trees. Even in the haze of white, the colorful lights dotted the path and vouched for the cheerful character of Christmas. This was the farthest Jack had ever traveled in another holiday world, and he was beginning to recognize the similarities between the woods of Halloween and the wintry skeletons of trees and their evergreen counterparts.

It was a silent trip for the most part. Though a thousand questions burned through his skull, the Pumpkin King knew from experience that Mr. Claus was concentrating on protecting them from the storm against the unnatural elements. It might not take a lot of his power, but it was only polite to allow him to work without any interruptions.

Abruptly, Mr. Claus stopped. Jack, under the assumption they had been heading for the holiday trees, looked down at him with a puzzled expression. Santa Claus frowned and wiggled his fingers a little, and the whirling barrier of snow around them shrank back, to reveal yet another tree. A larger, older, very gnarled and wise-looking tree. On its face was a door—not a pumpkin, or a heart or a Christmas tree, but a real door. There was nothing extraordinary about it.

"Now, then," said Mr. Claus matter-of-factly, turning to him. "I suppose I'll have to soften them up before we try to jump in unannounced."

"Soften them up?" Jack blinked. "I'm afraid I don't fully understand, Mr. Claws."

"I hardly expect you would, Jack. Hmmph…skeletons." The aged leader trailed off as he tapped the doorknob with his knuckles. The door swung open with a flourish of snowflakes and a haunting creak. Jack's eyes widened a little.

"Stay here!"

Mr. Claus's order was only a faint echo by the time the wizened old man's magic swept him up and carried him down through the dark portal. Curiously, Jack leaned forward and peered into the hollow beyond the door. Much like the other holiday worlds, there was nothing here but black emptiness. He decided to stay back lest he be swept up as well.

The blizzard was swelling all around him. There was not much he could do inside the bubble created by Mr. Claus. He was condemned to wait, it seemed. If only Zero were with him. Or Sally…but even though it was a tad dull, the winter storm was capable of disasters far beyond his control. Somehow, he had to get her back to Halloween Town before matters escalated beyond even Mr. Claus's control.

It was this thought that made him realize just how little time he had. They certainly couldn't wait around for something to happen—they had to act, quickly! If he had to confront the other holiday leaders in his most fearsomeness, then it would simply have to be done. How could he have not realized this earlier?

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Claws, but I have no other choice."

Jack placed a bony hand on the door and ducked his skull closer to the opening. Sure enough, the familiar tug of the portal grabbed onto him from within and he was soon airborne. Three seconds later, he was no longer suspended, but standing inside a rather dark and dreary-looking room.

It was a round chamber, made completely of stone and without a single window to shed the moonlight. Other than the pillars and simple etchings on the wall, it was empty. He was placed atop a flat dais in the very middle, underneath the single, flame-lit chandelier. Directly across from him was a tall, ornate wooden door.

Odd. He skewed his eyes. The door was slightly ajar, light spilling through the crack between the musty old planks. The sound of distant voices—several of them, all jabbering at once—came to his attention. It appeared he had found the meeting much more swiftly than he'd expected.

Jack stepped down from the dais and crossed the chamber with his soundless, inevitably spooky manner of slinking. He only stopped right outside the door, observing the well-lit scene beyond through the narrow gap of light.

The room he saw was no different from the one he stood inside—except instead of the dais, there was a table. A dark red, round table made of rich wood with seven chairs placed at its perimeter.

Five of those chairs were occupied, more or less. Santa Claus stood next to another, and the last was…simply empty of any body. But Jack's wonder was drawn not to the surroundings of the illuminated chamber, but to the faces of occupants. These were the holiday leaders! This was incredibly fascinating, and yet…somehow, very humbling altogether. He felt nearly ashamed, but of course, the Pumpkin King would never be ashamed without good reason. That left the excitement alone to rattled about in his skull, much in the same way it did on the day he'd discovered Christmas Town.

There was a short little man sitting closest to the door. His dark green jacket and matching top hat with a most peculiar golden buckle and an oversized four-leafed clover were oddest of all, yet his bright red, scraggly hair and crooked nose, and his imposing brow were all very extraordinary. On his left, a broad-shouldered man with a square jaw and a fur cap sat, frowning seriously. He was accompanied by a young lady with sharp, angular cheeks and very pale, almost translucent skin. She had real, extravagantly blossoming roses embroidered to her dress. And the last of the assembly of holiday leaders was perhaps the only one he did not understand—a normal-sized man, a living man with dark hair and another top hat—this time coloured with red and white stripes and blue band with white stars. His suit was similarly themed, and Jack felt even a little worried about fact that all, even the Easter Bunny—whom he recognized—were all much different than what he had expected. They were nothing at all like him. But what could he say?

"You don't even have the slightest idea about all this, Ms. Valentine!" snapped the green little man. Oddly enough, he was sopping wet. Water still sloshed around in the brim of his hat. "None of you bungling, bugling, babbling know-nothings know anything about this travesty of a disaster!"

"Patrick, we're all on the same page," the woman replied, making a waving gesture with her petit fingers. "Page one, if you're interested. Would you sit down, please? You're splashing all over the place, and I hate getting wet."

"Twenty-six!" the multi-coloured man interrupted dourly. "It will take twenty-six days to replace everything we lost! We c-c-can't sleep, we can't eat. I'm up to m-m-my nose in requisitions for a no-exploding bi-weekly relief period by-law!"

The Easter Bunny looked as it he wanted to add something, but if he intended to, Santa Claus cut him off.

"Now, now, everyone. There's no need to squabble over what's said and done. We should be gathering our strengths, and find the root of this problem!"

"Root? You wish to know the source all this ruckus?" Ms. Valentine hummed with contempt that made even the Pumpkin King himself blink. "After your…crisis last year, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out, old-timer."

"Hrmm?" Mr. Claus didn't look quite happy with that. And Jack was beginning to suspect that he wouldn't like this at all.

"That isn't completely fair now," the broad-shouldered one spoke for the first time. His deep base voice had the aspect of leadership itself embedded in its tremulous carriage. There were beads of sweat on his brow. "Can't prove you wrong, Ms. Valentine, but it isn't fair just the same."

"Ah, yes…about him." Santa Claus looked troubled, which was new to Jack. The skeleton leaned in closer to the door. "In light of the…suddenness of this matter, I believe it's only rational to include _every_ holiday leader in the following debate."

"My dearest Santa Claus, as you can see, we're all present and accounted for," Ms. Valentine said blandly.

"That's where you are wrong."

Jack knew it was as good a time as any to make an entrance. His delight in meeting other holiday figureheads such as himself was starting to blacken into the fine realization that he was not precisely welcome. He pushed the door open and stepped into the light, where he was visible for all to see.

"Jack Skellington!"

"Great Scot! He's a skeleton!"

"Why is _he _here?"

That was Ms. Valentine, and though Jack saw the same shock and tinge of revulsion on her face that he noticed in the others—he was a fright, after all, and this was the first time they had ever laid eyes on him—her accusation was more abrupt and to the point. And it was directed at Mr. Claus.

"Jack, I told you to wait outside! You _are_ incapable of listening to the voice of reason!" The Christmas leader was slightly beside himself at this point as well.

"If you'll excuse me, Mr. Claus, but I've apparently been waiting long enough. I had every intention of apologizing for my absence, but now I see that I am not even welcome to participate in these meetings."

"Are you mad, Nicholas?" Patrick rapped his wooden cane on the table. "The Pumpkin King is nothing but turbulent, troubling, terrifying and full of trickery!"

"Jack Skellington arrived at my door, requesting a truce with _me_, and he is _my_ responsibility." Mr. Claus glared around at them. "We may feel otherwise, but so long as Halloween is also under attack by this unseen force, I'll see that we _all_ work together as allies. That _includes_ you, St. Valentine."

Apparently, his authority was as sound as a brick wall, because the woman with the heart-shaped face closed her mouth reluctantly and sat down.

"The people I care about are being threatened by some kind of monster that doesn't belong in my town," Jack went on, narrowing his eye sockets. "As I was explaining to Mr. Claws earlier, the residents of Halloween are more than happy to scare whomever and whenever they please, but they _don't_ treat each other violently!"

"There are houses floating around the town square of St. Patrick's!" Patrick exclaimed. His hair seemed to get even brighter as he worked himself up. "I have to swim across the street!"

"Clearly, something is out to destroy each and every one of our holidays," Mr. Claus intervened gruffly. "What we need to do now is—

The door behind Jack burst open with a thunderous bang and nearly (but not quite) gave the King of scare himself a fright. But as soon as he turned around, he was rather taken aback by the sight.

Luckwittle, appearing as cold and wet as a frozen elf could be, accompanied by several other creatures and beings that were exotic beyond his understanding—including small rabbits, a small winged person with slightly frazzled wings and a bow-and-arrow, and a small man with an old-fashioned musket—came bumbling through. Jack took a few, long-legged steps backward.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Santa Claus angrily.

Suddenly, there was a clamor behind the new arrivals. The Pumpkin King peered over the numerous heads to witness the adjacent chamber filling with one sort of animal or person or another. It was almost as if…

…the residents of every single holiday world were joining them.

But to his bewilderment—relief, too—there were no familiar faces with them. No Halloween Town denizens in this strange little gathering.

No Sally, either.

"Mr. Claus, sir, my most humblest of expirations! A quazillion apologies, and more!" Luckwittle ran towards the Christmas Town ruler as quickly as his little legs would take him. He was still shivering a storm. "The entire town has come! The snow has already buried the cottages at the bottom of the hill!"

"Good heavens!" Jack witnessed true panic on Mr. Claus's face for the first time. "Is anyone hurt?"

Jack wanted to know what had become of Sally.

"Flooded? Completely, consecutively, catastrophically flooded?" Mr. Patrick was exclaiming, upon receiving new of his own town's fate.

The Easter Bunny didn't look very happy, either.

Ms. Valentine was the only one who was glaring at Jack, as though wishing she could burn a hole into his skull. Jack returned the stare just as (and far more) vehemently, and felt even a little satisfied when his sinister professionalism won out. The Valentine's Day leader averted her spiteful gaze.

It was becoming increasingly more crowded with each passing second. All of the creatures gave Jack a wide berth as they filed into the chambers. The noise was beginning to get inside of his skull and what he really, truly wanted to know was what had befallen Sally and his own town of Halloween. If the worlds were becoming so unstable, then perhaps…?

No. Could it be…? The Halloween Town residents…they didn't know about this refuge. How could they? Their own king couldn't lead them there. If something had happened, then where would his beloved townspeople go? They would certainly be trapped!

"_Quiet!_"

He bellowed this at last, throwing out his arms in his irritation. Not surprisingly, this had an immediate silencing effect on those around him.

Now they were all looking at him, and the Pumpkin King was quite irate at this point. He glowered as he stalked towards the meeting table and glared down at the surrounding faces.

"Where is Sally?" he demanded to all, though knowing only the Christmas folk would know. "What happened to Halloween Town?"

"This isn't the time to become angry, Jack," said Santa Claus dourly.

"Mr. Claus, when it comes to the safety of my townspeople, I assure you there is no better time to become angry than any time all!" His diplomacy was wearing thin now. If there was one thing the Pumpkin King was needed for, it was expiring _all _of his effort to ensure the well being of Halloween.

"Given the state of our own worlds, Mr. Pumpkin King, it wouldn't be unfair to say that yours is in _extreme_ danger." Ms. Valentine looked venomous as she spoke. "Or maybe not. Maybe…it is perfectly safe, and some of us are beginning to wonder if that is a mere coincidence…"

"Ms. Valentine, you are stepping _too_ far, young lady—"

Mr. Claus could not finish his sentence fast enough for the Pumpkin King. Jack was already slipping through the crowd of holiday citizens to the dais where he first arrived. He should not have left Sally and the others behind at all—what was he thinking? If anything terrible happened to any one of the townspeople—

As Jack was whisked away, he felt, for one of the few and only times of his afterlife, honest fear creep into his ribcage.

* * *

TBC


	4. Asylum

**_The Other Nightmare_**

**AN**: In the spirit of October...here it is. Another chapter. Now, reward me. I like chocolate.

Also, my neighbouring Americans, please don't take Mr. Fourth-of-July's weird personality as a bombardment against your country or anything. Despite looking like an American flag, he also embodies Canada Day. Any celebration involving country's birthdays and fireworks. I'll give Thanksgiving and Independence Day leaders names...soon...when I figure them out.

* * *

_Chapter Four: Asylum_

"Who's going to follow him?"

"N-N-Not me, I'm t-too busy trying p-pass this bill to reduce the number of requisitions for n-non-exploding bi-weekly bi-laws!"

"Are you joking? I wouldn't be caught _dead_ going near that ugly orange door."

The holiday leaders were all busy bickering amongst themselves about the sudden appearance of their holiday denizens and the abrupt _disappearance_ of Jack Skellington, so much that Mr. Claus' head was giving him a terrible ache. Not that grumbling about his fellow leaders would do any good, but it would certainly serve them right.

"Nicholas, surely you have a suggestion as to what to do now? You are the eldest holiday leader, after all. Surely you must have heard of something like this happening before?" Ms. Valentine's voice cut through the immediate clamor and she appeared behind the old saint's shoulder with an arched brow.

Mr. Claus balled one of his hands into a first and turned to face her, nose burning red with frustration. "Ms. Valentine, you are well aware that the eldest holiday is _not _me, but the very same one that got us into this mess in the first place! Personally, I would rather depend on _him_ in these dark and mysterious times than stand around arguing like a gaggle of lunatics!"

He hadn't realized just how loudly he'd raised his voice until a hush fell over all of the gathered heads. Eyes that varied from green, to violet to aquamarine turned on him at once in shock and expectation. Mr. Claus heaved a sigh. "As you all know, each one of our holidays is in dire need of rescuing. Now, I know you all have your reservations against Halloween and the rumors about it being a cursed and terrible place to be; however, despite Jack's..." He cleared his throat. "_...strange_ manners this past Christmas, I am not convinced there is anything malicious about his actions _or_ the citizens of Halloween Town. Doesn't anyone here realize what would happen on Earth if Halloween were simply to disappear into thin air?"

The following silence was enough to convince them all that Mr. Claus was right. If any of the holiday worlds were destroyed, people would forget about them. The seasons' celebrations would become unbalanced. And worst all, _no_ one knew what would happen if that ever came to pass. That was what made the idea so frightening.

"I'm in agreement with St. Nicholas," came a hearty voice from the midst of some bizarrely overgrown turkeys and men in fur hats. The Thanksgiving holiday leader shouldered his musket and looked on with a squared jaw. "Where would we all be if we turned our backs on each other in the hour of our greatest need? We need to cooperate in order to ensure the safety of our future!"

"How very Thanksgiving of you to say," Ms. Valentine commented with an unimpressed drawl. She crossed her narrow arms and sighed. "Well, you are right about one thing. We all need a place to stay, and it seems there is only one room available in the hotel of holidays. I will go there personally and determine if this 'Halloween Town' is suitable for my beloved cupids to rest their adorable little wings."

"We'll both go and speak to Jack, wherever he is," Santa Claus corrected her. "The rest of you should stay here, where it's safe. We'll return _with_ the Pumpkin King _if_ that world is even remotely hospitable.'

* * *

-

Jack opened his eyes to his kingdom the moment he felt the portal drop him on the ground. Half-expecting to find an unimaginable forest of massive pumpkins and out-of-control phantoms, he was even more surprised to see that the circle of holiday trees were untouched. So was the rest of the dead woods.

"How peculiar," he said wistfully as he lanced to his feet. Then his eye sockets caught a glimpse of something—or somethings—both familiar and alarming descending upon him from the canopy above. Dozens, hundreds, perhaps thousands of tiny yellow lights drifted down around his head and before his skull. "Oh, my. Where did all of these come from?"

As if to answer him, he heard barking in the near distance. "Zero!" he called in delight, a moment before the elated canine ghost charged down the path toward him. Zero circled him a few times, yipping happily. "Good boy, Zero. You certainly are a sight for worried eyes."

"Jack? Oh, Jack, you're back!"

His excitement over seeing his faithful companion quadrupled suddenly, when Sally's head, shoulders, then entire body appeared from behind a tree where she had been hiding. His beloved ran towards him and he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly when she crashed into him. "Jack, so many strange things are happening in town, and I feared something awful had happened to you when the Mayor told me you hadn't returned," she said quickly, as though he might vanish into a puff of smoke any instant. "You have to help them, Jack. There's too many pumpkins, and the ghosts who aren't friendly are all over the place. There's something very, very wrong with the vampire brothers, too. I was so sure I had everything under control, but there's just too much."

Letting her finish her frightened report on the state of Halloween Town, Jack simply stood there and held her as he listened. He had not been expecting anything unusual concerning the vampires, but then, how could anyone predict what would happen when there was no logical explanation for everything else? "Sally," he said, pulling back slightly. "I'm just glad that you're okay, and that there's still time to fix things in town. I don't want you to worry any more; I'm here and I'll set everything right."

She sighed and put her head on his bony shoulder. "I knew you'd say that. That's why I love you, Jack." When he saw her face next, it was still stitched with worry. "I almost forgot. What about Christmas Town? Is everything under control there?"

"I'm afraid not. I just came from the meeting of holiday leaders, and it seems all of the holiday worlds are a mess. I was going to invite them all to stay here in Halloween World until we figured out a solution, but I would have to consult the Mayor first on such a big decision."

"Don't be silly, Jack," she told him, smiling. "He is just an elected official; you're the Pumpkin King."

They shared a knowing chuckle, though not so much at the Mayor's expense as a tender moment of reflection on what made them love their town so much. It also reminded Jack about the hundreds of holiday denizens stranded in the meeting world where he had left them.

"Zero, I want you to look after Sally while I go back to the meeting explain the situation," he told his most loyal companion. The ghost barked happily to be appointed such an important task. Then the skeleton realized that Sally was blinking in wonder at something behind his back, and he turned around to see just what it was.

Ms. Valentine looked thoroughly displeased with her surroundings as she stepped gingerly through the shapeless hole in one of the trees. Santa Claus was already standing in the clearing, likely because he was too polite to interrupt their reunion. In contrast to Nicholas' patience, however, the Valentine's Day leader turned her nose up at the skeleton and the rag doll. Surprisingly, the contemptuous look in large, reproachful eyes dimmed quite a bit looking over them.

"Well, well, now I understand why you were in such a hurry, Mr. Skeleton," she said slowly. "Oh, so sorry to intrude, by the way. I'm sure you don't mind; the rules about tresspassing on other leader's holiday worlds doesn't seem to suit _you_, after all."

"Ms. Valentine," Mr. Claus said with an edge of warning before returning his attention to Jack and Sally. "I'm sorry, Jack. With no way of knowing how soon Halloween will be cut off from the meeting world, I'm afraid I have to make this short and to the point. Would you consider providing asylum to the citizens of St. Patrick's, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving, Independence Day, _and_ Christmas Town?"

Jack blinked at him in surprise. "Asylum? Why, Mr. Claws—"

"No need to explain, Jack," Santa Claus interrupted, though he sounded a little dour. "I understand that we're asking a lot of you, especially considering the circumstances surrounding your return to the meeting. If you truly wish, I would willingly give up anything from my world in compensation for the trouble."

"Compensation!" exclaimed the skeleton, clearly affronted, while Sally smiled meekly behind him at his reaction. Jack's voice darkened a little more with the serious effect of his words. "Mr. Claws, there is absolutely nothing I want from you or the committee, and I'd thank you to remember how sorry I am for every intruding on your holiday. What kind of Pumpkin King would I be if I turned down those in need of refuge?"

Ms. Valentine folded her arms. "The kind that gives children nightmares."

Deciding it was best to not fan the flames of discontent between himself and the elegantly dressed holiday leader, Jack kept his mouth firmly closed. This was no time to discuss the differences between holidays, but to take action against the threat that endangered them all. "Mr. Claws, Ms. Valentine, if you would like to accompany back to—"

"Terrible! It's just wholesomely, unquestionably, audaciously terrible!" That was Luckwittle's voice coming from inside the meeting world's tree. Suddenly, the entire forest as alive with the sounds of creatures from a myriad of holidays as the tree itself seemed to shake and bulge with a hundred bodies both big and small. Before anyone could say anything at all, the Easter Bunny, a gaggle of rabbits, some turkeys, a few oddly dressed men with beards, half a dozen flying infants, and even more bizarre creatures came pouring out of the portal and into the world of Halloween.

"Make room! Make room for the others!" cried the Thanksgiving leader as he popped his broad, stout shoulders through the hole in the trunk. He backed up a few steps, waving at the incoming denizens and bumped into Ms. Valentine. "Oh, terribly sorry about that, ma'am. Don't push and shove now; I'm sure there's plenty of room for everyone!"

Amidst the chaos, Luckwittle came bouncing over to Mr. Claus and delivered a bubbling report that Jack had a hard time following. He could guess, however—the Halloween door in the meeting world was probably fading, and the refugees probably had no choice but to escape. Sally put a hand on his arm, her wide eyes searching his for some sort of reaction, and she relaxed when the unspoken reassurance passed between them. Jack had trouble remembering that Sally was still relatively new to the Halloween world, let alone the other, even more bewildering holidays.

Some time passed while the various members of the committee organized their individual town's citizens into a less noisy, more controlled gathering. When it seemed the tree to the adjoining world would double over and collapse, the arrivals finally stopped. And, as if struggling to stay alive, the tree gave a last, shuddering groan and sagged backwards. The hole and the door both dispersed into a puff of wispy smoke.

"I guess that's it," Jack said to Sally, dropping his arms a little unhappily. It wasn't that he didn't want the other holiday members here, but he still had no idea how his own town would react to this disaster. "There's no going back, not until we solve this mystery."

"I'll help you, Jack," she said, which lifted his spirits. Almost anything she told him lifted his spirits these days; if only he had known her better last year, before the Christmas fiasco.

The Pumpkin King looked over the heads of the dozens and dozens of men, women and critters and prepared for a very profound, unintentional fright. He took a deep breath, habitually, and raised his voice over the clamor.

"Everyone, I need your attention, please!"

Like a bat's wings cutting through the silence of a cold night, his words put an end to the chaos in an instant. Unfortunately, he did his job only too well when he never wanted to—a moment later, some poor woman dressed in pink and red screamed before fainting away into the arms of a grizzled pioneer. Everyone else seemed to take it in stride. "Thank you," said Jack. "Now, I understand that the recent turn of events has been very confusing, for all of us. I would just like you all to know that you are most welcome in Halloween Town, and you have my most sincere promise that no scaring, pranks or tricks will be played on you or your children during your visit."

There were a few light murmurs in the tightly packed crowd, not nearly as much as he had hoped for. Ms. Valentine appeared at his side all of a sudden, gripping in her hand what appeared to be some strange kind of Halloween mask, only it was covered in red sparkles and dotted with precious gemstones.

"What the skeleton is trying to say," she said smoothly, putting the mask over her eyes almost coyly. "Is that in light of our situation, we should make the best of what we have. Hopefully, this entire stunt will blow over in a few days, and we can all go back home. Where we belong."

That got a stir of agreement out of the denizens of the holidays. Despite his usual nature, Jack cast a dark glance at Ms. Valentine, now _sure_ that her snide, unspoken resentment of Halloween—of _him—_was not merely his imagination.

Ms. Valentine lowered her mask just enough to hide her mouth, though the scowl played around her eyes. "This is politics, Mr. Skeleton," she said. "I have no intention of letting you take advantage of _them_ with your mind games and charming antics. This..._act_ of kindness won't help you, so let's leave it at that, shall we?"

The Valentine's Day leader slunk off to join the moving crowd as they marched deeper into the belly of the forest, leaving Jack to stare after her in puzzlement. Where had he gone wrong? He was so certain until now that he had been treated unfairly by the other holiday leaders, but it definitely made no sense whatsoever, the kind of distrust he was being shown. Surely his mix-up last year couldn't have done all this?

Nonsense. He'd merely made a foolish mistake; these people were _afraid_ of him, and of the Halloween world. And not just afraid, but terrified. This went far beyond the spirit of Hallow's Eve, further beyond his demeanor as the Pumpkin King. The explanation as to why he was no longer invited to the committee of holiday leaders.

What, precisely, had he done to deserve this kind of exile?

* * *

TBC


End file.
